Volume 6 Chapter 88 Please Stay a Little Longer
The imperial army had fully surrounded Heisenberg, but the black banners emblazoned with golden lions halted their advance right after entering the town streets.
The empire's pride: the First Division.
At the front stood a towering figure, as imposing as Randy, Volcan, or even Rolf, who had commanded the troops to stop.
A massive halberd gripped in hand.
Black hair cut short.
Dark armor matched by a deep crimson cloak that almost looked black.
Just his appearance screamed 'battle-hardened warrior.' Sharp, rugged features, a sturdy beard──rare manliness in an otome game.
This was none other than General Lionel Dreyfuss, hailed as the empire's──and the continent's──strongest, rivaled only by Rolf.
Despite being a seasoned veteran, he halted his troops just inside Heisenberg and fixed his gaze on the Marquis's castle high up on a distant cliff.
"...They've got us."
Lionel muttered this quietly as a nearby officer tilted his head, asking, "What is it, sir?"
"I thought him just a merchant good with numbers... but his tactics since yesterday? He's no fool──he's a skilled fighter."
A rare smile crossed Lionel's face as he started down the main road leading straight from the gate.
The destination was obvious──the Marquis's castle──but heading straight there would play right into the enemy's trap.
Pondering his next move, Lionel caught sight of an open square nearby──just the right size, no tall buildings around, perfect for gathering troops.
Without hesitation, he ordered his men to set up there.
"Hold position until further notice," he commanded, then sank deeply into a waiting chair.
"General, won't we attack the castle?"
The officer beside him asked. Lionel nodded toward the distant Marquis Braubelg estate with a flick of his chin.
From here, the castle stood clearly visible.
"The castle's perched on that cliff. And that wide road leading up to it? There's no doubt the enemy's lying in wait."
Tapping his fingers on his knee, Lionel chuckled, "Now, what's the best move...?"
The main street had a slight incline, with the town stretching out ahead, gradually rising.
It was hard to believe this beautiful hillside town was under attack; the sunlight made it glow.
Beyond that slope, a cliff came into view, towering over which stood Castle Braubelg.
So if they charged straight in, they'd undoubtedly face a hail of fire from the cliff above.
It was unclear what lay beyond the slope, but one thing was certain: there was a path up the cliff.
In other words, they'd be forced to press forward in a spot sandwiched between 2 steep cliffs.
A road dominated by high ground on either side.
Lionel might be safe, but his troops wouldn't have the same luck.
A stretched-out front line would only be a tempting target.
Even if they charged with all their might, they would suffer heavy losses.
If they let the Braubelg family slip away during the chaos, it would be a pitiful excuse for a victory.
Then, should they split the troops and take another route?
The answer was a firm no.
Dividing the forces in an unfamiliar town was like asking to be picked off one by one.
Besides, the enemy held the high ground.
They should be able to read their movements like an open book.
"Should we wait for reinforcements and increase our support from below the cliff?"
Without turning around to see, Lionel caught the glance of his deputy looking back toward the port and remarked, "Reinforcements, huh..."
Just then, not exactly reinforcements but a portion of the troops that had captured the port were headed toward the square where Lionel stood.
At the front of the group was a man cloaked in a hood and mask, hiding his face.
Unlike Lionel's armored form, he wore light gear, looking more like someone from the kingdom's dark side or [Dark Tide] than a knight.
"Is that you, [Shadow Swordsman]?"
The sight caused the deputy to furrow his brow slightly.
Among the imperial forces, the [Pilgrim of Truth] was a highly specialized unit.
While the second prince Leonius led this elite group, the one actually commanding the operational forces was Kyle Heather, known as the [Shadow Swordsman].
"General, aren't you going to advance?"
Lionel, his voice muffled behind the masked man, simply shook his head. "We're in the middle of a strategy meeting."
"...So, it's an ambush, huh?"
Kyle, noticing Braubelg's advantage in the terrain, halted the advance just like Lionel did, his gaze fixed on the castle visible from the plaza.
"Should we wait for reinforcements?"
Kyle glanced back toward the port, and Lionel muttered, "Reinforcements, huh."
"Unlikely we'll get any," Lionel said with a sigh.
Both the deputy and Kyle tilted their heads in confusion.
After all, the sea was already under their control, and they had secured the port.
All that was left was to dock the battleships and deploy the crews──real reinforcements in the making.
"At this point, no battleship could possibly dock here."
Lionel forced a bitter smile, admitting letting the enemy's battleships escape to open sea was a fatal mistake.
If they tried to bring in imperial battleships now, Braubelg's navy would definitely come back.
Anchored battleships become nothing but massive sitting ducks.
Plus, imperial battleships in the harbor would block their own defenses from operating.
Landing craft? Nope.
They'd have to leave enough crew aboard the battleships to keep them running.
Anything less, and the ships would just be huge targets again.
It was a single, brilliant move.
That one play tricked them into thinking the port was fully surrounded, turning the imperial-held harbor into a complete liability.
"Of course, Braubelg's still got their prized navy spread thin guarding that."
Lionel's right──the port's basically dead weight now, but the truth is that Braubelg won't risk sending reinforcements.
"On the flip side, this says they think they can take us down even without their battleships."
Lionel looked back again at the castle towering above the cliffs, smirking despite his words, "They're seriously underestimating us."
And honestly, that probably felt good to him.
Braubelg's guts to stand and fight head-on, refusing to run from his presence, stirred something inside.
"Backing down now would be a disgrace to the First Unit and the Golden Lion's emblem."
Lionel stood tall, turning back to his troops.
"From here on, we march for that castle on the cliff! We expect ambushes along the way, but we'll crush them all──let's show them our strength!"
At Lionel's rallying cry, the First Unit hammered their weapons against the ground in unison.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)